The cause of death is an overdose of an illicit drug.
Investigators are trying to determine two things: How the inmate was injected with the illegal drug and how the drug got into the prison in the first place.
The Department of Corrections confirms 22-year-old Brian Goodricke of Clio is the inmate who was found unconscious in his Level 2 cell Tuesday morning.
Goodricke was in prison on breaking and entering and drug convictions. An autopsy indicates he died from an overdose of an illicit drug, possibly heroin.
It's believed Goodricke injected himself or someone else injected him with the drug via a syringe, but one was not found in his prison cell.
"We are vigilant against all the ways that people may try to bring drugs into correction facilities," said John Cordell of the Department of Corrections.
Cordell says it's very rare that an inmate dies from a drug overdose inside a prison. Goodricke was a Level 2 prisoner, a low security risk and would have been able to have contact with visitors.
If investigators can find out who brought the drugs into the prison, it's possible that person or persons could face homicide charges.
"There is the possibility where drugs could get passed from a visitor to a prisoner in a visiting room," Cordell said. "We utilize staff assets to make sure that doesn't happen."
"It's unfortunate, but it can happen," said Saginaw County Sheriff Bill Federspiel.
Federspiel says people have tried to smuggle drugs into the county jail.
"We only have so many resources, and I know in Freeland, they only have so many resources," he said.
"We don't have enough corrections officers in the prison," said State Rep. Ken Horn.
"We are spending millions of dollars in substance abuse programs inside of our corrections system. There is no reason in the world that drugs should be passing through our jail system."
The Michigan State Police Department is investigating.
